"I Want to Go Out and Punish": Final Press Conference of Shakur and Harutyunyan
On July 6 in Newark, USA, a bout between WBC lightweight (up to 61.2 kg) champion Shakur Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) and Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) will take place. Ahead of the fight, the boxers faced off, exchanging smiles and jokes in a good-natured stare-down.
Commenting on the upcoming Saturday evening, Shakur stated that his next opponent is much tougher than fans think.
"This guy is a good fighter. I think many don't know him, so they don't understand how good he is. I think the mode I'm in and what's going on in my head... I want to go out and punish him. It might start with boxing, and then I might start beating him up completely," Stevenson told the Top Rank YouTube channel.
Harutyunyan expressed respect for his opponent, recalled the Olympics, and responded to criticism that Shakur's fights are boring.
"I am glad to be here in Newark. I was born in Armenia and live in Germany, and I came here to fight in Shakur Stevenson's hometown. This is a great opportunity for me, and I will do my best to show a great fight. I know Shakur Stevenson is a good fighter, he is a world champion, we both participated in the Olympics. He is a silver medalist, and I am a bronze medalist, and now we are fighting for the WBC world title. Everyone wants to see Shakur Stevenson lose. Many say he is boring, but that's his style, and it works. I am glad to be here. I want to show all the fans and boxing fans that I can give him a worthy fight. Some people say I should wear running shoes in this fight—it's just a joke. Many fighters don't want to fight him, someone said everyone avoids him, but I want this fight to happen. He is a good fighter. Give him the respect he deserves. It will be a great night, and I want to show the fans a good boxing match," Harutyunyan's words were quoted by Boxing Scene.
Shakur Stevenson last fought in November 2023 against Edwin De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs), winning by unanimous decision. Artem Harutyunyan has not been in the ring since July last year when he lost by unanimous decision to Frank Martin (18-1, 12 KOs), marking the first loss of Harutyunyan's career.